Within last years, we deal with a change of a profile concerning people who emigrate from Poland. We may notice more and more such Poles who decide on departure in spite of having a job in Poland. It is a huge change – believes Karolina Grot from Institute for Public Affairs.
The expert judges that Poles are encouraged to emigration not only by higher incomes and lower unemployment which were dominant features in the first years after the introduction of Poland to the European Union. It is worth mentioning that many people emigrated then for a short period and returned to the country after some time. Moreover, part of them decided to depart again. We dealt with a swinging migration. Right after the introduction of Poland to the European Union and openness of foreign labor markets, which concerned British, Ireland and Sweden ones, such scenarios dominated among leaving Poles – says Grot. – However, they noticed quickly that not only better conditions were waiting for them abroad.
People who could not find a job in Poland or had to work in a different occupation dominated among emigrants in the first years of the membership in the European Union. The emigration gave them a hope for a quick earning which, in turn, would allow them to save some means or send them to a family which stayed in the country. Most of them noticed that they could count on a better income and more stable employment in the countries of western Europe. It caused that they started leaving for longer.
The better perspectives in the West encouraged to departure also those people who had a job in Poland and gained some occupational experience in the country. There are more and more people among Poles leaving to Germany or Great Britain who work in their professions. They do not join companies which do not reflect their education for a longer period but they aspire to perform a job which is consistent with their qualifications – says Grot.
More and more people decide to look for a job abroad even when they are still in Poland. After finding a chance for an occupational development abroad, Poles make a decision about staying on emigration for good more eagerly than few years ago.
The most often chosen country for emigration is Great Britain, where Poles remain second largest national minority after inhabitants of India. Moreover, many people leave to Germany, the Netherlands (where seasonal employees dominate), Ireland and Scandinavian countries. According to data from 2013, ca. 200 thousand of Poles left to Germany then. Among over 1,2 million of emigrants who settled in our western neighbors this year, Poles constituted the most numerous group which totaled over 16 per cent.